British Waterways Press Update
21 August 2008
Waterways Press Update – August 2008
Contents
- Chief executive’s summer customer forums
- ‘License it or lose it’ campaign
- Changes to BW’s licence terms and conditions
- State of the Waterways Heritage Report
- 2008/09 Winter Stoppage Programme
- New contact details for customer services
1. Chief executive’s summer customer forums
Robin Evans has completed his summer series of customer forums around the network. Open to those with an interest in their local waterway, Robin took questions and highlighted BW’s priorities for the management and maintenance of the network.
There were18 meetings, attended mainly by boaters but anglers, waterside businesses, neighbours, parish councils and local authorities were also present from time to time.
Robin comments: “The customer forums were a further opportunity for me to listen to boaters and towpath users and to get their views face to face about spending priorities and waterway related issues. There was discussion and debate across a number of topics, notably licence renewals, waterways maintenance priorities, the increasing cost of boating and the introduction of, and necessity for, minimum safety standards.
“Despite the obvious appreciation shown towards the work and effort put in by our bank staff, there is clearly much more for BW to do and to get done across the waterways which we have to consider as part of our annual maintenance budgets. However there are other simple, and not necessarily costly, things we can do to make a difference to our customers. Greasing lock gearing, ensuring up-to-date information is always on our notice boards and not mooring work boats at lock landings or on visitor moorings are examples of the things I am asking our local managers to attend to.”
2. ‘License it or lose it’ – the word’s spreading
BW will be launching a national promotional campaign at the IWA National Waterways Festival urging unlicensed boaters to ‘license it or lose it’. Building upon the success of the campaign which has been in operation across the East Midlands throughout the year, BW will use the Festival as a platform to reinforce the message that it is cracking down on licence evasion. The campaign highlights that unlicensed boats are increasingly being seized by BW and then either sold to recover backdated licence fees or destroyed if they have little or no financial value.
Denise Yelland, BW’s national enforcement manager, comments: “Although primarily targeted at those who have been trying to evade paying for a licence, the campaign also reminds the nine out of ten ‘legal’ boaters of the importance of displaying their licence disks. Not displaying a licence unnecessarily diverts our enforcement teams away from their primary task of getting-to-grips with those boaters who aren’t contributing towards the cost of maintaining the waterways.”
Publicity on BW’s stand at the IWA National will be supported by ‘license or lose it’ posters at boater facilities across the network as well as at BW offices, website and within the waterways press. In addition, from mid September, the BW website will also have a dedicated ‘license it or lose it’ section that includes a boat index checker so boaters themselves can report any unlicensed boats they spot.
Denise continues: “BW’s ongoing effort to tackle licence evasion is delivering good results and a recent increase in the volume of renewals is proof that concerted efforts to tackle non-compliance are making a real difference. In the first seven months of the year we seized 90 boats and recovered more than five times the amount of backdated licence fee income than in the same period the year before.”
Free licence holders are available from BW Customer Services by phoning 0845 671 5530.
A copy of BW’s ‘license it or lose it’ campaign poster is available from the Press Office on request.
3. Changes to BW’s licence terms and conditions
A number of changes to BW’s licence terms and conditions come into effect from mid September. The revisions will not apply retrospectively but to new licences as they are renewed. Representatives of leading boating organisations commented on the changes earlier in the year.
BW has made some changes to its licence terms and conditions. The
revisions apply to licences beginning 1st October 2008. Representatives
of leading boating organisations commented on the changes earlier in the
year.
The full terms and conditions, together with a summary of the changes
are downloadable from
www.britishwaterways.co.uk/license-it/licence-terms-and-conditions
4. State of the Waterways Heritage Report
BW’s head of heritage, Nigel Crowe, has published his annual snapshot of BW’s heritage management activities in his latest State of the Waterways Heritage Report. The report shows that whilst funding for the care and maintenance of waterways heritage remains a key issue, the work of BW’s heritage advisers, engineers and waterway volunteers has helped to further improve the historic fabric of the waterways heritage.
BW is the third largest owner of listed buildings in the UK, and whilst the number of scheduled monuments on the waterways has increased, the numbers of listed buildings at risk has reduced to 43, down from 125 three years ago.
Nigel comments: “I joined BW as its first dedicated heritage adviser in the late 1980’s shortly after English Heritage had pointed a finger at BW for a skills gap in its conservation work. Some 20 years on and attitudes and our approach to heritage management have developed to the point where BW is put forward, by English Heritage amongst others, as an example of conservation best practice.
“Providing an insightful look into the nation’s industrial past, the diversity of waterways’ heritage is a rich inheritance that by and large is being improved and safeguarded for future generations.
“Importantly each of BW’s nine regional business units now employs a heritage adviser. This has been an integral part of ensuring BW has a better understanding and awareness of heritage issues which gives us a near complete compliance with statutory and in-house standards – despite the extensive maintenance and engineering works that are carried out across the waterways each year.
“Whilst, like myself, many waterway watchers take pleasure in noticing the small detail that makes each stretch of waterway unique, I am delighted that the iconic Pontcysyllte Aqueduct and its adjoining sections of the Llangollen Canal have been put forward as the UK’s 2009 nomination for World Heritage status – a truly deserved honour.”
5. 2008/09 Winter Stoppage Programme
BW’s stoppage programme setting out the engineering works planned over the winter has been published and will be available at the IWA National Festival.
The programme includes comprehensive works to improve the network - covering lock gate replacements, lock chamber works, preventative maintenance and inspections. In addition, this year sees a significant increase in new marina connections and steps have been taken with marina operators to keep disruption to the network to a minimum. Local communication will take place where any changes are necessary on the works programme.
Jim Stirling, BW’s technical director, comments: “We do our best to minimise the impact of all stoppages in the interest of customer service and we have tried to keep open at least one long distance route between north and south. Most stoppages are planned to start early on Monday mornings and finish late afternoon or early evening on Fridays.”
Available to view online at waterscape.com from 23 August, the programme will also be available by request from BW’s Customer Service Centre on 0845 671 5530 or email enquiries.hq@britishwaterways.co.uk. Up-to-the-minute stoppages and restrictions and alerts are also available to view online at waterscape.com.
6. New contact details for customer services
BW’s Customer Service Centre is contactable on a new locall number (0845 671 5530). The number which is the same cost as a standard local call from a BT landline will now appear on printed materials and the BW website. The old number (01923 201120) will remain in service for the foreseeable future.